Chapter 147: Prelude

Chapter 147: Prelude

He crept quietly to the window and peered out, only to see Zhao Changhe accompanying Ji Chengkong as they walked away, with Zhao asking: “As I roam the jianghu, what I lack most is a top-notch lightness skill. This ‘Traceless Bloodstep’ is decent enough, but my gear is too heavy, dragging me down and making it quite mediocre. For things like covert investigations, I can’t manage them—I’d have to trouble you, Brother Ji.”

Sisi slumped her shoulders and let out a sigh.

Then she heard Ji Chengkong say: “Isn’t that only natural? How many people are masters of everything? Besides, everyone knows how short a time you’ve been training in martial arts. If you excelled at everything, would anyone else even have a chance? In my view, your Traceless Bloodstep is passable—it’s considered high-level lightness skill in the Blood God Sect, so it’s good enough…”

“The Blood God Sect itself is mediocre; even if some of their techniques have impressive power, lightness skill is hardly their forte. What use is their so-called high-level skill?” Zhao Changhe finally revealed his true intent: “If I wanted to learn your sect’s lightness skill from your master, would there be a chance?”

Ji Chengkong stared at him as if he were a greenhorn in the jianghu for a long moment: “Unless you’re willing to formally take him as your master, it’s impossible. Would you be willing? If so, I think my master would be delighted to take on a famous figure like you from the Hidden Dragon List as a disciple, but I doubt you’d agree.”

“No trade-off?”

“No. This is our bread and butter—how could we trade it away? Especially after something happened a few days ago; my master no longer even wants to take on disciples.”

Sisi clutched her head.

Zhao Changhe feigned surprise: “What happened? Oh, if it’s inconvenient to say, forget it.”

“It’s not inconvenient, and maybe Brother Zhao can even help.” Ji Chengkong sighed and said: “About half a year ago, a young girl joined our sect. She was so sweet-tongued that everyone doted on her like a treasure. The master quickly passed on the core techniques to her, including our lightness skill, the art of sleight of hand, and the methods of disguise… But after she got all those skills, she just bolted without even a word of thanks.”

Zhao Changhe barely suppressed the urge to turn and look at Sisi, clearing his throat: “So Brother Ji is looking for this… traitor?”

“Traitor? The master never issued a kill order. Instead, he laughed at himself, saying that the one who hunts geese all day gets pecked in the eye—he’d spent a lifetime stealing, only to have someone steal from his own home. Then he laughed heartily, said it was amusing, and told us not to bother.” Ji Chengkong looked exasperated: “Even so, how could we let it go? We have to catch her and bring her back for the master to deal with.”

As he spoke, he seemed to casually glance back at the window where Sisi was: “Actually, if she went back and admitted her mistake, the master really wouldn’t hold a grudge. If Brother Zhao ever runs into her while traveling the jianghu, feel free to tell her that.”

Zhao Changhe asked: “At least tell me if it’s a man or a woman, and what name they go by.”

“A woman. As for the name, it’s meaningless—the one she gave was probably fake. She called herself Xiang Simeng, and might go by Sisi or Mengmeng or something like that, maybe a pun on ‘longing dreams’ to stir up fancies. Whatever personality she shows, don’t believe it. Our Thieves’ Guild trains in acting, and if you lose your soul to her, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Zhao Changhe said: “Could it be that Brother Ji himself lost his soul to her?”

Ji Chengkong gave a faint, bitter smile: “A little, maybe. Who didn’t love her back then? But in the end, she was just a heartless little enchantress. I’m off. It’s too embarrassing to talk about, and pointless.”

Ji Chengkong soon vanished. Zhao Changhe returned to the room with a grin, humming a little tune: “It woke my longing dreams, but what use are dreams…”

Sisi looked away in exasperation: “That story’s protagonist just happens to share a name with me—it has nothing to do with you. Why are you singing at me? Don’t tell me you think that was me?”

“No, no. If it really were you, you’d at least change the name when facing me, right?”

Sisi immediately brightened: “Of course! Who would be so stupid as to use the same name?”

“Exactly. Only an idiot like that could fool the Thieves’ Guild. If she ever fell into my hands, I’d have her in all sorts of positions.”

Sisi felt there was something off about his words—if it wasn’t her, why call her an idiot? And if it was… well, she hadn’t expected him to be acquainted with Ji Chengkong!

She rubbed her temples, head aching, and said: “Master, you specifically sent Ji Chengkong to investigate the Lu family, and in the end, he found nothing. Instead, you had time to pry into other people’s gossip. Isn’t that boring?”

“Who said he found nothing?” Zhao Changhe said: “Didn’t he mention a forbidden area that only direct Lu family members can enter?”

“And then? We don’t know what’s inside. Ji Chengkong knows disguise—why didn’t you have him disguise himself as one of the Lu sons and go in?”

“The chances of going in and never coming out are high. He’s not my man, so why would he go that far?” Zhao Changhe gave Sisi a once-over: “Too bad. If you were that Sisi, maybe you could help.”

“That Sisi wouldn’t go to her death either.”

“But what if it’s just helping me with a disguise?”

Sisi asked: “Since you know you might not come out, you still want to go?”

“Not now.” Zhao Changhe gazed thoughtfully out the window: “If I’m not mistaken, I can wait for a certain time… when the Lu family will be short-handed.”

Just as Sisi was about to ask, Tang Buqi’s voice came from outside: “I’ve been out all day investigating cases, wondering where you were, and here you are playing with your maid all day?”

Sisi: “…”

Zhao Changhe said: “I was giving you a chance to shine. So, any results?”

“No.” Tang Buqi entered the room, picked up the tea on the table, and gulped it down: “What a pain. The only places they went to were the same—brothels and alleys, and visiting each other’s homes… Speaking of visits, they’ve come to our place too…”

Sisi said cautiously: “Young Master Tang, that tea was drunk by a guest just now, a man…”

“Pfft…” Tang Buqi sprayed the tea everywhere, pointing at Sisi with a trembling finger: “Sure enough, birds of a feather flock together. Even the maid takes after the master—always finding ways to disgust people.”

Zhao Changhe rapped the table: “Hey, I’ve been racking my brains to help you with your case, and this is how you see me?”

“Is that so?” Tang Buqi rolled his eyes: “Doesn’t look like it.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled: “Then let me tell you something now. You’d better take it seriously and prepare.”

Tang Buqi paused. Zhao Changhe’s performance in Yangzhou had left a deep impression on him, so his words carried weight: “Go on.”

“If—just if—the Lu and Gu families come to the Tang residence and claim that the miasma came from the Sword Pool on Tiger Hill, what would you do?”

Tang Buqi sneered: “There’s nothing in the Sword Pool… They’re just making trouble. The Tang family isn’t to be trifled with.”

Zhao Changhe said: “What if, at that very moment, the Sword Pool really erupts with miasma? What do you think would happen?”

Tang Buqi’s casual expression slowly hardened. He said in a low voice: “Today, several more families have been infected… If that really happens, the Tang family’s reputation would be ruined, and we might even be torn apart by the angry families… But the problem is, there really is nothing in the Sword Pool on Tiger Hill…”

Zhao Changhe said solemnly: “I don’t care whether the Sword Pool will actually produce something. I’m warning you of one thing now: immediately notify your aunt. If she’s already been notified and can’t get here in time, then you must contact the Suzhou garrison and the Demon Suppression Bureau right away, have them lie in ambush near the Tang residence, and prepare for battle. Remember this, remember it well.”

Tang Buqi was about to say something when a commotion arose in the distance. Soon, a steward-looking man ran up, panting: “Young Master, young master! The four great families of Suzhou have gathered a crowd and are making a racket at the gate. They say the miasma in Suzhou leaked from our family’s Sword Pool, and they demand an explanation!”

Tang Buqi’s face changed drastically as he stood up. Zhao Changhe grabbed him: “Let your father handle things here for now. You go to the military camp immediately, now, right now!”